Hyundai Azera Recall Issued Due to Passenger Airbag Problems

About 5,200 Hyundai Azera sedans have been recalled following reports of the passenger airbag malfunctioning, with the sensor under the passenger seat misreading the appropriate weight of the person in the seat, which may result in the airbag deploying with too much force and causing an injury, particularly for children.

A Hyundai Azera airbag recall was announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on June 25, after a supplier, Autolive Korea, notified the automaker that a fabric change was made in the seats of the vehicles last November, which could disrupt the occupant detection system.

While no injuries have been reported to date, at least five warranty claims have been received involving Hyundai Azera airbag problems.

Airbag sensors on the passenger seat are designed to distinguish the weight of the passenger, so that when the air bag deploys it knows how much force to send the airbag out at to protect the passenger.

As a result of the problems associated with this current recall, children and small adults may be exposed to an airbag injury or larger adults may not receive the necessary protection from the airbag to prevent an injury in an auto accident.

The recall includes all 2012-2013 Hyundai Azera’s manufactured from May 22, 2012 through November 23, 2012. Hyundai announced the problem was recognized and fixed in the more current models.

Hyundai announced it plans to warn the owners of the problem soon and to set a schedule for owners to bring their vehicles in to a dealer to recalibrate the airbag system to account for the fabric change. The recall number is “Campaign 111” and consumers may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.